Former President Donald Trump took aim at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on Sunday, criticizing its leadership as “radical lunatics” and pledging to overhaul the agency. Speaking during a departure from Air Force One at Joint Andrews Airbase, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with USAID’s direction and announced plans to merge it into the State Department, significantly reducing its scope and influence.
“It’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics,” Trump said. “We’re getting them out, USAID, run by radical lunatics. We’re getting them out, and then we’ll make a decision.” The remarks reflect Trump’s long-standing criticism of government agencies he believes have become overly bureaucratic or misaligned with his policy goals.
Trump’s comments followed a statement regarding Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s ongoing trip to Panama, where discussions have centered around the Panama Canal and its control. Trump decried what he described as a violation of the Panama Canal Treaty, claiming China has gained undue influence over the canal, which he said was originally meant to be controlled by Panama, not China.
“They violated the agreement. They are not allowed to violate the agreement,” Trump said. “China is running the Panama Canal. That was not given to China. That was given to Panama, foolishly. But they violated the agreement. And we’re going to take it back or something very powerful is going to happen.”
This sharp rhetoric points to Trump’s broader stance on international agreements and the influence of foreign powers, with his administration’s policies often emphasizing a hardline approach to global geopolitics.
